Xref: utzoo comp.dcom.modems:2198 comp.sys.ibm.pc:17741
Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!mcvax!ukc!reading!onion!riddle!domo
From: domo@riddle.UUCP (Dominic Dunlop)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Direct modem line from USA to France?
Message-ID: <791@riddle.UUCP>
Date: 3 Aug 88 12:00:39 GMT
References: <297@amanue.UUCP> <247@westmark.UUCP> <6435@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>
Reply-To: domo@riddle.UUCP (Dominic Dunlop)
Organization: Sphinx Ltd., Maidenhead, England
Lines: 36

In article <6435@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> peter@athena.mit.edu
	(Peter J Desnoyers) writes:
>You might want to invest in a pair of good V.32 modems - any decent
>manufacturer should have them approved by European PTT's, and they are
>very resistant to errors. (The modulation scheme uses forward error
>correction) The problem is the price - $1500 to $4000. Real 9600bps is
>a plus, although I wouldn't pay for it out of my own pocket.

Byte, June 1988, carries a comprehensive review of thirteen high-speed
modems which can operate over the public telephone network.  And, yes, the
true V.32 products (as opposed to cut-down V.32, the older V.29, or
proprietary) came out with the highest throughput in a random data test.
Of the two full V.32 models tested, Telenetics 9600E/V.32 averaged 8995
bps on a clean connection, but failed completely on a simulated marginal
connection; the Concord 296 Trellis did 8842 bps on a clean line, falling
to 8237 on the bad line.  By comparison, the much-discussed Telebit
Trailblazer Plus did 5568 and 5078 bps respectively in each test.  The
joker in the pack was the Telcor Accelerator 2496MA which, by using very
smart proprietary compression on top of old V.22 bis 2400 baud technology,
achieved 8256 and 8362 bps.

Yes, V.32 costs more: $1795 (or $1995 with data compression) for the
Concord; $2295 for Telenetics.  Neither of these modems supports any other
protocol, so you can't call them up with your accoustic coupler.
The Trailblazer lists at $1345, the Telcor at an amazing $895.  Both these
modems support all the common lower-speed protocols (if you're American,
that is).  You can get Trailblazers here in England from a company called
Dowty.  I don't know of an outlet for Telcor.  Nor do I know about the
situation in France.

>In my biased opinion (I co-oped at Codex) the Codex V.32 is probably
>the best...
Byte didn't test the Codex.  But it's a good article, anyway
-- 
Dominic Dunlop
domo@sphinx.co.uk  domo@riddle.uucp